2012

When thinking of a New Year many of us look towards the future, and think of the ways in which we can make our next year better than our last.  The main problem is that most people begin thinking of the next year on New Year’s Eve, or worse yet the first day after you return to work after New Years.

For me, my journey into 2012 began about a month ago.  I knew that I needed to make some plans for my business and so I decided to take a weekend away to concentrate on the objectives that I wanted to accomplish.  I had a very productive weekend, and I even learned few new tricks from a really good friend.

When I think about the time I spent focused on my business and the directions that I decided to take, it gives me peace of mind to know that for this year my direction is set.  No matter which path I find myself on, I will be able to look at my overall objectives and make sure that this path it is going to bring me to the destination that I set.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to be able to not only decided where I want to end up but also which path I was going to take and which obstacles that I would be able to handle.  Unfortunately, life isn’t that easy.  The path and the obstacles will always change, sometimes that means that there will be more turmoil than you might like, but it will help you grow into the person you have chosen to be.  If you haven’t chosen who you want to be or where you want to end up, then the path changes and the challenges will be a lot more upsetting then if you knew that after you made it out of the other side you would be one more step closer to your final destination.

Think of a road trip, you know where you are starting from and where you would like to end up.  You can plan everything down to the rest stops and the snacks… but even the best-maintained vehicles sometimes break down, or get a flat tire.  There are many things along the way to your destination that can go wrong, but along the way, you can judge your trip by how close you are to your destination.  On the other hand if you had started your trip not knowing where you were going, the little things along the way might upset you or even cause you anxiety because you would not be able to see a destination, you would be caught up in the pitfalls, and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What I am trying to say is that sometimes it is the planning that bogs us down and keeps us from success.  Set your course, and live.  Stop to smell the roses, spend time with the people you love and even some strangers along the way.  When things don’t feel right, take some time to compare where you are and what path you are on to your destination.  If you are off track find a way to cross back over to the path that will get you closer to your destination, and keep living.

Be good to yourself, if you fall off the path or even if you find yourself going in a direction that is completely opposite where you want to be, then don’t kick yourself, pat yourself on the back for recognizing that you need to turn around.  When you turn around smile and move toward your dreams :)